1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation apparatus which forms images on recording media by discharging ink from ink discharging orifices, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ink jet type image formation apparatuses, such as ink jet printers for example, have come into widespread use due to low running costs, the capability to print color images, small apparatus size, and so forth.
Such ink jet printers are arranged to record images by discharging minute amounts of ink from minute ink discharge orifices formed on an ink discharge face of a print head. This arrangement has a problem in that in the event that printing operations have not been performed for a long time, meaning that ink has not been discharged from the ink discharge orifices for a while, the ink adhering near the ink discharge orifices on the discharge face remaining from the previous printing operation may dry due to evaporation, increase in viscosity, and solidify, which makes correct ink discharging difficult.
Conventional arrangements to deal with this problem involve cleaning the print head by pressing a somewhat hard rubber blade against the ink discharge face of the print head, and sliding the blade over the ink discharge face, thereby removing (wiping) the ink which has adhered to the ink discharge face, increased in viscosity, and solidified. Along this line, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 57-34969 discloses a technique for attaching multiple blades to a rotating axis which is rotated, thereby further increasing the wiping effects.
However, such conventional art wipes the ink adhering to the ink discharge face by pressing the somewhat hard rubber blade against the ink discharge face of the print head, and sliding the blade over the ink discharge face, which places a great force on the ink discharge face, and may damage the ink discharge face.
Also, while the blade is solely dependent on the wiping effects, wiping alone may leave ink in the ink discharge orifices. Using multiple blades also has the same problems, in that the ink discharge face may be damaged, and that ink may be left in the ink discharge orifices.